


Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

by S_Whisterfield



Category: Mob City
Genre: Celia Rothman au, F/F, F/M, various other mentioned or implied relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-30 05:49:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5152643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Whisterfield/pseuds/S_Whisterfield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before the show begins, Benny, Sid, Mickey, and Ned and girlfriends at the Clover Club. Somehow the evening ends with no bloodshed. (Well, depending on what happens at the Hill residence after Ben and Virginia get home.)</p><p>Featuring cross-dressing cis-woman Sid Rothman.</p><p>Thanks to theladiesyouhate for betaing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Claire Harmony is, according to IMDB, the full name of Ned's girlfriend in Episode 4, and consequently she's the only person with a faker-sounding name than him. Obviously they're meant to be.
> 
> Sid Rothman is a woman who pretends to be a man when it makes life easier for her, which is a lot of the time, given that she's an enforcer for the mob. Her real name is Celia. Of the people she's out with tonight, the only ones who don't know she's a woman are Mickey's exotic dancer girlfriend, who just met her, and Ned, because it's funnier when we don't tell him things.
> 
> This is also in the same universe as "Cold Feet".

Tonight was pleasure, not business, so the girls came along. Virginia hadn’t been back long enough to start fighting with Ben, and they were like something out of a high society romance. Ned brought Claire, who greeted Sid as if they were only acquaintances. Mickey had a new dancer, whose name Sid didn’t catch, who was a good six inches taller than Mickey, with the smooth hair and serene face of a Christian statue despite her profession. Sid liked her for that joke alone.

“And how about you, Sid? All alone tonight?” Ned asked. The waves of self-satisfaction coming off him were almost visible.

Sid decided it probably wasn’t personal; Ned was just in an especially good mood tonight and the smugness oozed more than usual.

“At my age, kid, sometimes you need a night off,” she said.

“If you’d like a dance,” said Virginia, winking at her.

“Oh, I wouldn’t presume,” Sid said. “Not with Benny’s girl,” and shot a glance at Claire, who was studying her water glass.

“Look, he doesn’t own me. I’ll dance with whoever I want,” Virginia snapped. Ben glared. Sid gave them two, maybe three hours before war broke out again.

“Sure, you dance with whoever you want, but I work for him.”

Virginia laughed and stood up. “Come on, Benny, or I’ll dance with Sid.”

“Wouldn’t want that to happen,” Ben said, good mood restored, and got up to join her. He leaned over Sid’s chair as he passed and said, very low, “Wear a dress next time and I’ll dance with you too.”

Sid laughed and waved him off.

“Claire?” Ned said.

“I’d love to.”

“Mickey?” The dancer - Betty, possibly - turned toward him.

“I, uh, I don’t wanna leave Sid all alone here,” Mickey said.

“Go, go,” Sid said. “I’ll be fine.”

“Besides,” said Mickey, “I ain’t so good at dancing.”

The girl laughed and pulled him to his feet. He grinned sheepishly at Sid and followed his date off to the dance floor.

It was crowded, but not enough that Sid couldn’t find the couple she was looking for. Claire caught her eye and immediately looked away. Ned said something, and she laughed and moved closer. Sid wondered if Claire was doing it for her or for him. Ned’s face was mix of smug and infatuated that would have made Sid laugh if he had been looking at anyone else. Now it just irritated her. She stood up and threaded her way through the tables.

She caught Ned and Claire on the edge of the floor when the song ended. “Mind if I?” she said, to neither one in particular.

Ned assumed it was meant for him. “I don’t if she doesn’t,” he said.

“Well?” Sid said.

Claire sighed and toyed with an earring. “I suppose . . .”

Ned kissed her. “Just don’t forget who’s taking you home,” he said.

“How could I?” She smiled at him. “You wouldn’t let me.”

“If we’re done with the love scene,” Sid said.

“Sorry.” Ned retreated. Sid didn’t watch him.

Claire glared at her. “If you keep acting like this, he’s going to figure out.” 

“C’mon,” Sid said. “What’ve I got that he hasn’t? He’s young, good-looking - and doesn’t he know it. College boy. Got hair that smells like flowers and a closet full of ugly ties.”

Claire laughed in spite of herself. “I could tell you what you’ve got,” she said, close in Sid’s ear. “But I think you’d rather I do it in private.”

Sid smirked. “You really like that shit he puts in his hair?”

“It wouldn’t work for you,” Claire said.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Claire ignored her. “Darling, you have to lead. How long has it been since you did this?”

“Sorry.” Sid focused on dancing. Claire relaxed into her arms.

The band had a new singer. No one anyone’d remember in a year, but good enough to dance to. She sang, “They asked me how I knew/ my true love was true. . .”

“Come home with me,” Sid said.

“I can’t,” said Claire, “I promised.”

“Pretty girls don’t keep their promises. It’s part of their charm.”

“You keep yours.”

“I’m not pretty,” Sid said.

“I think you are.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Sid said. “Which is also part of your charm. Ditch the kid.”

“He’s older than I am. Besides, he takes me out all the time. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“I missed you.”

“Then next time I won’t be busy.”

The way Claire was leaning into her now, anyone watching would have to be blind or stupid not to see what was up. Sid looked around for Ned, just in case. He wasn’t paying attention. He was standing against the back wall, consoling himself with one of the girls in sparkly dresses Mickey kept around to take pictures of the guests.

She looked more familiar than most of them, and Sid wondered why. She finally realized she’d seen the girl with Hecky Nash a few times when he’d come over to bother Mickey. Legs. Probably not her real name. Funny. She didn’t look like Hecky’s type. Too much self-esteem.

She didn’t look like Ned’s type, either, come to that. And he didn’t look like he was flirting. Too bad, Sid thought. He could have had Hecky’s girl, and then Sid would get Claire to herself and Hecky would get screwed over again. It would have all worked out nicely.

—

Ned hadn’t watched them for long. He didn’t think Sid would try anything in the middle of a dance floor that Claire couldn’t handle, and there was someone he wanted to say hello to.

He found Jasmine across the room, watching the dancers with a set mouth and bright eyes. He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall next to her.

“What’s the matter?” he said. “Smoke get in your eyes?”

“It’s a stupid little song,” she said.

Ned looked at her. “Yeah, I guess it is,” he said. She didn’t reply. He wasn’t sure if she heard him. He tilted his head back and stared at the chandeliers. He owed Joe, and he liked them both. But he couldn’t think of a way to fix this one. He’d tried. The only thing he could do - He looked back at her. “Hey, listen,” he said. “If you need anything - ever - you know where to find me.”

She turned toward him now, and smiled faintly. “Thanks,” she said.

He said, “It shouldn’t have ended how it did.”

“I’ll remember that.”

He didn’t know what else to say, after that. Trust Joe to pick a difficult girl, and trust him to let her walk away without a fight when anyone could see neither of them wanted her to leave. He didn’t care what they did, but he wished they’d be broken-hearted where he didn’t have to know about it. 

—  
The dancers found Ned waiting for them at the table when they got back, looking quieter than he had been. Not angry, though. Sid thought they were still safe. Claire went to his side with such alacrity that Sid’s irritation returned.

“If you’re going home with the picture girl, I’ll take the one you came with,” she said. From the look on Claire’s face, she hadn’t noticed where he’d been. Sid was pleased.

“What?” Claire said.

“Ned found someone to keep him company while you and I were dancing.”

“It’s not like that,” Ned said. “She’s with a buddy of mine. I try to stay friendly. She’s a nice girl.”

“Didn’t know you were friends with Hecky Nash,” Sid said. 

“I’m not.”

“Huh,” said Sid. “Because that was Hecky’s girl you were talking to back there.”

Ned stood straight up. “What the hell,” he said.

Sid leaned back, amused. “You got something to tell your friend?”

Ned sat down again. “No. They broke up a while back. I just - I don’t get women.“

Sid raised an eyebrow at Claire. Claire gave her a small smile back, and returned to watching Ned.

He was subdued the rest of the evening, and Sid caught him sneaking puzzled looks at Hecky’s girlfriend now and then. Claire caught his mood, and barely responded to Sid’s attempts at conversation. Ben and Virginia were well on their way to another fight. Sid almost wished they’re get into it here. It would jar Ned out of his sulk and kill Mickey’s grating good cheer.

No such luck, and after about an hour and a half, Sid couldn’t stand it any longer. The only choices were to shoot the place up or go home and do today’s crossword. She picked the less exciting option. Benny had enough troubles right now without her adding to them. And Mickey did love that nightclub.

She half-heard Claire excuse herself as she left.

“You change your mind?” Sid said, when Claire caught up to her outside the dining room.

“I can’t,” she said. “Not with the mood he’s in. It wouldn’t be fair. But tomorrow night. I’ll be alone then.” She glanced around to make sure no one was watching and kissed Sid on the mouth, too quickly for her to respond.

“You’ve got lipstick all over your face now,” Claire said.

“It’ll come off,” said Sid, absently. “Tomorrow?”

“Night,” Claire said. “I have to go back now. They’ll start wondering.”

Sid watched her go. Poor kid. The whole thing was almost more trouble than it was worth. Almost. And she had tomorrow night to look forward to now. It would be better than tonight. It couldn’t be worse.


End file.
